Life Goes On
by LucyFitzgerald77
Summary: After Nick apologizes to Jess will life go back to normal? (Takes place after 2x16 "Table 34")
1. Chapter 1

I'm mostly writing this from my imagination but I've gotten a few ideas from some of spoilers/info I've seen for some of the upcoming episodes. This takes place right after "Table 34" 2x16. FYI, I don't own New Girl or any of these characters. Also, reviews are super helpful :)

* * *

_"I think it meant something to you."_ Jess's words from earlier echoed in Nick's mind. Darn right it did. But how could he admit that to her? She obviously wasn't admitting anything. He didn't want to bet money on it but he was pretty sure it had been meant something to her too. CeCe had clued him in earlier.

"Nick, I think Jess really likes you, you just need to give her some time. She's going through a lot of emotions right now," she had told him.

He had been too impulsive with that kiss. And now, the last thing he wanted to do was continue being impulsive. He would have to tread the water carefully. One bad move and their friendship could potentially be over. His stupid homewrecker comment earlier had definintely crossed the line. But amidst that, he still felt like Jess had forgiven him. He smiled thinking about their awkward hug and how the look on Jess's face had softened. He would just have to be careful.

* * *

Jess crawled into bed, tears streaming down her face. She grabbed a tissue from her nightstand and blew her nose loudly. He might have denied it but she knew Nick had feelings for her. She wasn't stupid. Guys don't randomly grab you and kiss the life out of you for no reason. Her thoughts were all confused. She had enjoyed every powerful second of that kiss. His statement, "I meant something like that" played over and over again in her head like a broken record. He had tried to get her to admit her feelings earlier but lying to him seemed like the easier thing to do. Even if she had known Sam would break up with her, she still wouldn't have told him the truth. She had never cared for a person more than she did for Nick.  
But it didn't mean she wanted to date him. The idea of suddenly changing gears with him seemed awkward and weird...rushed. She wanely smiled thinking about him trying to cheer her up earlier-dancing to Taylor Swift and even apologizing for kissing her and wrecking things with Sam. She had forgiven him. She could never stay mad at someone that tried that hard to make things right.

* * *

The next day, Schmidt walked into the living room where Winston, Jess, and Nick were sitting, half-way watching a movie.

"I have an announcement!" Schmidt proclaimed.

Nick rolled his eyes. Winston sighed. And Jess tried to look interested and half-smiled.

"I have found the ultimate parking spot. I have lived here for years and never in my life have I been able to park so close!"

"So?" Winston asked, "Parking further just means more exercise. I park far away on purpose."

"How is this an announcement? You parked closer today, big deal," Jess said as she stood up and walked to the kitchen.

Schmidt followed her and Nick followed him.

"You don't understand," Schmidt began, "We have to keep it!"

"We?" Nick asked, "You'll actually share it with us?"

"Absolutely not!" Schmidt replied, "But you guys can help me prevent anyone else from taking it."

Nick laughed. "I don't think so. I wouldn't mind getting to park closer myself. That long walk from my car makes my back hurt."

Jess punched him in the arm. "You're even falling apart like an old man!"

"NO! It's my parking spot and I'm going to protect it! Even without your help!" Schmidt yelled.

"I'd help you," Jess shrugged. "But parking closer would make me feel safer. I don't like having to walk at night from a faraway parking spot."

"So none of you are going to help me? I contribute so much of my time to you people. I slave away in the kitchen and cook. I clean up everyone's messes. I lose sleep at night sometimes thinking about how much all of you mean to me and this is the thanks I get?" Schmidt complained as he put away dishes from the dishwasher.

"You know," started Jess, "Nobody asks you to do any of that."

"Don't discourage him Jess!" Nick reprimanded her, "Nothing would ever get done around here."

"Please," Schmidt rolled his eyes, "As much as I do around here, your crap is still hardly ever clean Nicholas."

"I saw him sweeping the floor the other day!" Jess interjected.

"I dropped a mug and it broke. I didn't want to step on any of it and slice my foot open," Nick explained.

"A selfish act," Schmidt shook his head.

"So you're saying I should have left the broken mug on the floor so someone else could step on it?" Nick asked.

"You have a point. But you're still not willing to help save my new parking spot so you can forget the cake I was going to make you for helping me out," Schmidt huffed.

"There never was any cake!" Nick exclaimed, "You're only saying that to make me feel bad and agree to your stupid plan!"

Schmidt didn't say anything. He just walked off and headed to his room.

Nick turned to face Jess. "Tomorrow Jess, as soon as Schmidt leaves for work, you are going to move your car and take his place. Then, I will take you to work. And when he comes home, he will no longer have his parking spot!"

"Do you really care that much?" Jess rolled her eyes.

"YES!" Nick had a sinister grin on his face. It'll teach him a lesson! He might ramble on and on about how he likes to help all of us but he's actually really selfish and I'm sick of it."

"Alright," Jess agreed, "I guess I'm in!" Nick smiled at her and lightly rubbed her shoulder as he walked off.


	2. Chapter 2

There will definitely be more chapters...hopefully several but that will all depend on the reviews. I don't want to write something that people aren't enjoying. I'm leaning toward a Ness storyline...but it'll be quite gradual. Random thought of the day...I wonder if the New Girl people ever read fan fiction on here...

* * *

Jess woke up to the sound of knocking.

"Come in," she mumbled in a sleepy voice.

Nick walked in. "Jess! You need to get up, Schmidt is about to leave and you need to move your car!"

Jess groaned. "Ughhh, it's too early. My keys are on the nightstand. Move it yourself."

Nick grabbed the keys and took a brief but lingering look at Jess. She was so cute with her hair all messed up, face buried in the pillow. He walked out of the room and quietly shut the door.

The ride to the local community college was very quiet. Eerily quiet. Awkwardness drenched the air. Nick pulled up to the front of the school and Jess unbuckled her seatbelt.

"Thanks for the ride," she smiled softly.

"No problem. Thanks for letting me use your car for Schmidt," Nick replied.

Jess got out and Nick drove off. Why had it been so awkward? Last night hadn't been like that. Would their friendship go through spurts of awkwardness like this because of the kiss?

Nick was sitting on the couch checking his e-mail and Jess was watching a re-run of "Boy Meets World" on TV. The front door opened and Schmidt walked in.

"Jessica Day. Really? I thought we made it very clear last night that I would be the only one claiming that parking spot," he admonished.

Jess really didn't know what to say since it had been Nick's idea. "I didn't want you to be happy!"

Nick looked at her weird. There would be no getting herself out of that one without Schmidt practically chewing her head off so he decided to take the blame. "It was my idea. I just decided to use her car instead of mine in case I got called in to work today."

"Well, go move her car and then park my car there instead," Schmidt tossed Nick the keys.

"What if someone takes it before you get back with Schmidt's car?" Jess asked.

"Ah good thinking! Jess, you go with Nick and keep an eye on the parking spot while Nick finishes his game of Musical Cars," Schmidt directed.

"Come on Jess let's go," Nick rolled his eyes. He could have fought it out to end this ridiculousness but quite frankly he didn't want to waste the energy on it.

Jess stood on the parking spot as she watched Nick drive off with her car. A few minutes later he returned driving Schmidt's.

"Let's head back," he said while getting out of the car.

Jess just stood still. "Is this how things are going to be between us now?"

Nick sighed. He sat down on the ground beside the car and didn't say anything.

Jess sat next to him. "I mean, I don't want you to think I hate you. Because I don't."

"Hate me?" Nick asked, "Jess, I never thought you hated me. I thought you were probably still pissed though."

"I just didn't know what to think. You know, after you kissed me."

"Yeah. It was really stupid of me. I was an idiot."

"I don't think so. I think you like me."

"Like you? What makes you say that?"

"The kiss Nick! Friends don't kiss each other like that!"

"Like what?" Nick grinned deviously.

"Like...THAT!" Jess protested.

Nick could only smile.

"Why are you smiling? That's so irritating!" Jess complained.

"Because you just can't admit that you actually liked it!"

"And if I did like it, what would that matter anyway?"

"You did like it! Ha! You liked it so much you want to kiss me again!"

"What? No Nick! I never said that!"

"You want to kiss me!"

"No! Maybe! I don't know!"

Nick turned his face toward hers and just looked at her. Jess leaned in and quickly kissed him on the lips.


	3. Chapter 3

Thanks for the reviews guys! Much appreciated! :)

* * *

"Oh really?" Nick grinned slyly.

"Alright fine! Maybe I liked kissing you. So what?" Jess nervously tucked a few strands of hair behind her ear.

"We're attracted to each other. We have a connection that a lot of people don't have. Maybe we're not supposed to know all the ends and outs of it yet, and that's okay," Nick reasoned.

"So we're over this awkward stuff then?" Jess asked.

"OH MY GOD!" Schmidt's voice boomed out.

Jess and Nick quickly stood up.

"What is this? Did I really just see you two kissing a minute ago?" Schmidt was freaking out.

"No!" Nick yelled as Jess yelled out a "Maybe!"

"Violating the loft rules! I can't believe you two! You just can't control yourself Nick! Just because your girlfriend dumps you doesn't mean you have to hook up with our roomate!" Schmidt admonished.

"She kissed me too!" Nick threw in.

"Hey!" shouted Jess.

"Both of you are colossal disappointments to me! You're ruining everything I've created!" complained Schmidt.

"Look, Schmidt, nothing is going on between us. I mean, there is, but it's not what you think. Jess and I don't even know yet. Just chill out," Nick explained.

"Whatever. I have a work party to go to tonight. We'll finish this discussion tomorrow," Schmidt rolled his eyes, got in his car,  
and left.

The next evening, Winston, Nick, and Jess were playing Wii Tennis when Schmidt came home from work.

Winston paused the game. "Hey man, you want to jump in? We're about to start another round."

"No children. I have an announcement!" Schmidt walked over to Nick and put his arm around him.

Nick shot him a weird look and pushed him off of him. "I thought you were pissed at me. And everyone for that matter."

"It's in the past! Everyone, cancel your plans for tomorrow evening because we're going to have a party! Nick and I have shared a strong and enduring friendship for ten years and it calls for a celebration!" Schmidt exclaimed.

"Oh yeah!" Winston started dancing.

"Where's it going to be at?" Nick asked, slightly worried it would be at the bar and he'd have to serve everyone all night.

"Here of course! I'm going to make some fantastic Hors d Oeuvres and you can make the drinks!" Schmidt said, clearly more excited than Nick.

"Great. I get to call out of work so I can work at home," Nick sighed.

"Cheer up Eeyore, you're going to have a great time!" Schmidt reassured.

* * *

"I made a playlist for tonight!" Jess exclaimed, holding her iPod.

Nick took it from her and plugged it into some speakers Winston had contributed from an old PC he had. He turned it up and hit play.

"You are, my fire. The one desire. Believe when I say. I want it that..."

Nick quickly hit pause. "The Backstreet Boys? No! What is this, the year 2000?"

"They're a classic!" Jess snatched the iPod back and hit play.

"Way. But we are two worlds apart. Can't reach..."

Nick reached over Jess's arm and hit pause again.

"Ugh! Just skip this song, I promise the rest is better," Jess sighed.

Nick rolled his eyes and hit next.

"I threw a wish in the well, Don't ask me, I'll never..."

Nick hit pause again. "I can't believe I'm saying this, but this is WORSE than the Backstreet Boys!"

Winston walked in from the kitchen. "Why do you have to be so lame Nick? That's one of my jams!"

"You guys don't know what good music is," Nick shook his head.

Schmidt came in the room with his iPod. "No worries everyone! I've already made a playlist and it's off the chain so we can get this party crack-a-lackin!" He plugged it into the speakers and some techno music started playing.

Nick shrugged. "Better than Carly Rae Jepsen or the Backstreet Boys."

Someone knocked on the door so Jess walked over to go answer it. CeCe came in along with a couple of model-ish looking guys. One of them looked Jess up and down and winked at her. She blushed and smiled slightly at him.

* * *

Along with New Girl, I don't own the Backstreet Boys or Carly Rae Jepsen.


	4. Chapter 4

Jess excused herself to her bedroom to think for a minute. Nick had kissed her, Sam had broken up with her, and she and Nick were

kind of in an awkward place right now. The guy CeCe had brought with her was really hot but did she really want to get to know another guy

or just leave it alone and hope that things fell in place for her and Nick? Did she even want to be with Nick? After her and Nick's talk the

night before, they didn't really come to any conclusion except they had feelings for each other. They weren't dating each other but would it

be okay to date other people? There was a knock at the door.

"Who is it?" Jess asked.

"It's CeCe!" the voice on the other side of the door responded.

"Come in," Jess said.

"Why are you hiding out in here?" CeCe tilted her head to the side.

"Ugh! I don't know what to do! Nick and I are in a confusing place right now. But that hot guy you brought-I just want to flirt with

him and have him flirt with me and see if something happens. But I don't want to do that because of Nick! He likes me CeCe! I can't

do that to him!" Jess babbled on.

"I thought you didn't like Nick," CeCe prodded.

"I don't know! I mean, I guess I do. I just think it'd be weird to call him my boyfriend. I don't think I'm ready for that," Jess tried to

explain.

"So you see yourself with him someday then?" CeCe asked.

"Maybe. I don't know!" Jess took a throw pillow and started beating her head on it.

"You don't actually have to date this guy Jess. Or any guy for that matter. A little flirting never hurt anybody," CeCe reminded.

"I suppose," Jess shrugged. Both of them left the bedroom and walked in the living room just in time to see Winston trying to break dance.

He was failing miserably.

The hot guy came up to Jess and introduced himself. "Hey blue eyes, I'm Nick."

Nick? Of all the names on God's green earth, why would it have to be Nick?

"I'm Jess," she held out her hand to shake his but instead he lightly grabbed her into a side hug.

"You've got a great place here," he said.

"Thanks! Yeah living here is pretty cool," Jess smiled.

The real Nick came over and introduced himself to the new Nick, acting way more friendly than he normally acted. In fact, he started talking

to him so much that Jess was only able to stand there and watch the conversation because there was never an opportunity for her to talk. She

eventually got up and found CeCe and pulled her to the side in the hall.

"Oh my god, Nick is being so rude!" Jess complained.

"What? He's always been super nice to me!" CeCe stated.

"No not that Nick! My Nick!" Jess corrected.

"Your Nick?" CeCe smiled.

"You know what I mean! He's talking non-stop to the other Nick! It's like he's on drugs or something, I've never seen him talk that much!" Jess told

her.

"He's jealous!" CeCe declared.

"Jealous? Nick? Are you kidding me?" Jess was confused.

"You said yourself that he likes you and wants to be with you. He probably doesn't want to tell you not to talk to another guy

so you don't get mad at him. So instead he's taking matters into his own hands and talking the guy to death," CeCe explained.

"So what should I do?" Jess asked.

"Obviously don't flirt with the other Nick. Or any other guy. Just let things happen between you guys. If nothing happens for a long time,

then maybe think about dating someone else," suggested CeCe.

"I can do that," Jess nodded, "I don't always need a boyfriend all the time."

"Good," CeCe smiled and walked off.

* * *

Nick went to work the next night and noticed a new face behind the bar when he walked in the front door. She had auburn hair cut in choppy layers,

green eyes, and she winked at Nick as he walked up to the bar.

"You must be Nick," she decided confidently.

"Good guess," he smiled as he walked behind the bar.

"I'm Shelley," she said as she lightly touched his arm.

"Oh yeah," Nick said casually, "You're Jack's daughter."

"The one and only!" she giggled.

The whole rest of the evening they casually flirted back and forth. She told him about the two years she spent in London during grad school

and he told her stories about some of the crazy customers he had served the past few years. After the bar had closed, they both walked

outside to their cars.

"You working tomorrow?" she asked.

"I'll be here," Nick said.

"Good, I can't wait," she looked back and smiled at him as she walked to her car.

* * *

Don't hate me! Be patient Jess/Nick shippers! Thanks for the reviews!


	5. Chapter 5

Jess walked in the front door after her long day of work. Her last class had been super frustrating because one of her students, a middle-aged eccentric woman, had complained the entire time about how she thought all of the grammar rules were stupid and a waste of time and she only wanted to write without worrying about guidelines. Jess didn't mind if people expressed their opinions but the woman's complaining had prevented Jess from even being able to give a lecture.

"Jess, I'm glad you're back!" Nick said after she had walked in.

"What's up Nick?" she smiled at him even though she just wanted to go to her room and change into sweats.

"My boss's daughter actually listens to me, unlike her dad, and she wants to use my idea for "Guys' Night"! And it's going to happen tonight!" Nick said enthusiastically.

""Guys' Night"? So no women can come?" Jess asked.

"Well they can but only guys get to drink for free!" Nick grinned.

"That's stupid. And sexist," Jess looked annoyed. She quickly felt bad though because Nick had seemed so excited and now he looked really bummed.

"I thought it was a great idea," he said.

"I'm sorry," she tried to recover from her quick words, "I've had a rough day. I think it's cool you get to use your idea."

"Ehhh you're probably right," he shrugged.

"I'm sure it'll be a fun evening. And who knows? Maybe you'll get to use another one of your ideas soon!" Jess encouraged.

"I don't have any more," Nick frowned.

"Well come up with some more! You just need to be creative," she said and then walked to the kitchen to get a snack.

Nick followed her. "Are you going to come tonight?"

"Hmmmm, I don't think so. I kind of just want to bum around tonight. I'll probably watch chick flicks and eat junk food," she replied as she unwrapped a cheese stick.

Nick looked disappointed as he walked out of the room.

* * *

Jess sat on her bed casually grading one of her student's papers while thinking about Nick. She felt like a jerk for being rude to him. She decided to abandon the sweatpants she was enjoying so much and get dressed up to go to the bar. She rummaged through her closet until she found a green polka dot dress. She put on black 3 inch peep-toe heels and added a little extra eye makeup to what she was already wearing. She looked hot. Hot to trot in the words of Nick Miller.

She walked into the bar which was a lot more crowded than usual. Guys were talking loudly and there were way less women than there normally were. She saw Nick and walked over to him.

Nick noticed her and waved as she approached. "Jess! I thought you were going to stay home!"

"I changed my mind," she smiled and discreetly pulled at her dress to show a tad more cleavage.

"What can I get you?" he asked.

"Ummm how about a long island iced tea?" she said.

He raised his eyebrows. "Well that's a first."

"I felt like trying something new," she explained.

"That's never a bad thing," he winked.

Jess smirked at him.

He lowered his voice. "This one's on the house. Just for you."

"And what did I do to deserve this?" she asked flirtatiously.

"You showed up," Nick smiled sweetly.

Out of nowhere, Shelley walked up to Nick. "Hey you! I didn't realize you were here yet!"

"Uh yeah, I've been here since 6," Nick said casually.

"Well my night just got a lot better," she smiled.

Right then, a glass broke across the room and Shelley left to go clean it up. Nick walked to the other end of the bar to get an old man's drink order.

Jess took a long sip of her drink and thought for a moment. This chick must have been Nick's boss's daughter. No wonder she didn't mind using his idea. She was obviously into him. This really annoyed Jess and she wanted to do something about it. If Nick could prevent her from flirting with other guys, then she could do the same to him.

She watched as Shelley walked back behind the bar. Her plan was to start up a conversation as soon as she walked over but instead, Shelley came up to Nick and placed her hand on his arm.

"Last night was SO much fun Nick!" she gushed.

"Yeah, I had a good time," Nick agreed, "I haven't had a night like that in awhile."

Jess bit her lip. How could this be happening? Nick had slept with this slut last night? They were co-workers! Was he such a horndog that he had to sleep with the first girl he came in contact with just because he couldn't sleep with her? Or maybe he didn't even care about her. Maybe it was all some big, fat lie. She quickly got up and practically ran out the door as tears streamed down her face.

Nick looked up for a moment and noticed Jess leaving quickly.

He sighed. "Shelley, I'll be right back."

He hurried out of the bar and saw Jess unlocking her car door.

"Jess!" he yelled out. He ran up to her passenger door and let himself in.

"What are you doing?" she asked in a sniffly voice.

"Shelley doesn't mean anything to me," he started.

"Oh yeah? She means so little that you had to sleep with her?"

"Sleep with her? Jess, I never slept with her!"

"What about all the "fun" you had last night?"

"That? All I meant was it was actually fun to get to work with someone I actually got along with. Her dad and I aren't exactly best friends. And the other people that work here are pretty lame."

"I don't think she feels that way."

"Look Jess, yeah she might be flirting with me and she might want to sleep with me, but she's not going to. I know you and I aren't together but I could never do that to you. I don't want to be sleeping around with other girls when I'd be thinking about you the whole time."

"You really mean that?"

"Yeah. Hurting you is the last thing I want to do."

"Nick, I don't even know what to say."

"You don't have to say anything. But if you care about me at all, maybe you could kind of avoid other guys. At least until we figure all this out."

"I can do that."

"Good," Nick took her hand and gently stroked it with his thumb, "I've got to get back to work."

"Okay," she said softly. "Thanks Nick. I'm sorry I freaked out."

He smiled and kissed her on the cheek before he got out of the car.


	6. Chapter 6

I decided to re-do the Valentine's Day chapter because quite frankly, I hated the one I originally did because it was so cheesy and lame. Since I started my story before we knew about "First Date" coming out (long time ago, right?!) I decided to let this kind of be a version of "First Date" but with a Valentine's Day twist.

* * *

February 14th, the dreaded holiday of anyone who was single, was just the next day. Nick was in his room thinking about where his life was going lately, something he didn't regularly do. Things were starting to look up with Jess but who knew if it would continue that way. They had sort of danced around possibly something more than just a friendship. He decided he needed to make some kind of move. If she was anyone else, he would ask her to go on a date. And tomorrow was Valentine's Day, so why not? He got up and went across the hall and tapped on her door.

Jess opened it, wearing only the short pink robe he had kissed her in not so long ago. "Hey Nick, what's up?"

"Ummm, well. Valentine's Day is such a stupid holiday. Candy and flowers and crap," he started. Jess just stared at him. "Being alone sucks. Might be cheesy. You want to have dinner? With me?" he choked out.

"Yeah Nick, that might be fun!" Jess smiled at him, "Where should we go?"

"I'll find a place," Nick said with a little more confidence.

* * *

The next evening, Nick drove over to the Chinese bistro he had found on Google maps. It had good reviews and didn't look outrageously expensive. When he arrived, he noticed Jess sitting on a bench across the street. He waved her over.

"Jess, over here!" he yelled. The bench she was at was in front of a tiny burger shop with a writing on the glass announcing "Daily Special! 2 Burgers for $5!" Jess got up and walked over to Nick.

"Sorry, I thought we were meeting over there!" she explained.

"Why would we want greasy cheap burgers when we can indulge in sushi and Kung Pao chicken?" Nick asked.

"I didn't realize you even liked Asian food!"

"There's a lot you don't know about me," Nick winked and took her arm, "Come on."

They only had to wait a few minutes before the hostess took them to a table. It was small table that only seated two chairs in an intimate corner of the restaurant. Big red roses were in a glass vase on the side of the table against the wall.

"This is really nice Nick! Good choice," Jess said as she began to look at the menu.

A waitress came up to their table. "How are you this evening? I'm Pamela and I'll be your server. What would you two like to drink?"

"I'll have a mojito and a glass of water," Jess replied.

"I'll take a glass of Heineken," Nick told her.

"I'll be right back with those drinks. Please take your time ordering!" Pamela told them.

* * *

They both ended up ordering the same thing: sesame chicken with vegetables over rice. They talked throughout dinner about Schmidt and how high maintenance he was and how annoying he could be at times. They discussed Winston and how they wondered how much longer he'd work at the radio station. That led to them talking about their jobs as well.

"I don't know if I can keep teaching adults," Jess complained, "It's just not as fun as teaching kids."

"Why is teaching kids better?" Nick asked.

"They're just more fun! The questions they ask actually make sense. In some ways, they almost seem smarter than adults."

"Well I don't know how much longer I can be a bartender," Nick stated.

"What's so wrong with that?"

"The pay is pretty crappy. I'm starting to get too old to be as charming to the ladies for them to leave me a decent tip. Plus, I never saw myself doing it for more than a few years."

"What would you like to do instead?"

Nick was silent for a few seconds. "I honestly don't know."

"You could work some more on your zombie detective novel. What I read so far was pretty interesting!"

"You thought so?" Nick grinned, "Maybe I will."

"You're also really good at fixing and building things. Like the pipes, and my dresser."

"I'm decent," Nick shrugged, "Maybe I could start a business or something."

"Nick's Home Repairs! You could have your own little van and tool belt and everything!"

"You seem more excited about it than me!"

They exchanged smiles and both didn't say anything for a few seconds. But right then, two waitresses came over with a miniature heart-shaped cake with "I love you" written in red cursive letters and little sparklers were lit. One of the waitresses sat the cake down on the table and they both began singing:

_Let me call you sweetheart_

_I'm in love with you_

_Let me hear you whisper_

_That you love me too_

_Keep the love light glowing_

_In your eyes so blue_

_Let me call you sweetheart_

_I'm in love with you_

"Happy Valentine's Day!" they both said in unison before they walked away. Nick and Jess both looked shocked.

"Umm that was weird!" Nick said, laughing hesitantly.

"Did they think we were together?" Jess asked.

"Well it is Valentine's Day. Maybe they just assumed," Nick said.

Jess glanced across the room and noticed Schmidt and Winston were sitting at a table down the aisle from them and were both snickering.

"It was Schmidt and Winston! They did it!" Jess jumped up and marched over to their table, Nick followed close behind her.

"What the hell!" she yelled at them.

"You didn't like our Valentine's Day surprise?" Schmidt said in mock surprise.

"No you idiot! That was embarrassing!" Nick explained loudly.

But Winston and Schmidt didn't get angry; they both just sat there laughing like two goons.

Jess and Nick both rolled their eyes and walked back to their table.

"I'm sorry Jess," Nick apologized.

"Why are you apologizing?"

"I feel like I should. I've known the guys way longer than you."

"But it's not your fault. They're the idiotic fools. And it wasn't that bad anyway."

"It wasn't?"

"It was actually kind of cute. I mean, if we were together it would have been really cute," Jess explained.

"But we're not. So it was just creepy and weird."

"Worse things could happen!"

"Come on. Let's get out of here before they do something else."

"Can we take the cake?"

"Hell yeah! It might be creepy and weird but I bet it's a damn good cake. Can't let that go to waste," he said as he waved a waitress over to ask for a to-go box.

* * *

"Let Me Call You Sweetheart" is a real song by the way. It's super old, like from the early 1900's. I used it because it popped into my head and seemed to fit perfectly because of that line about the blue eyes.


	7. Chapter 7

This chapter is way longer than the Valentine's Day chapter…I apologize for it being a few days later than I intended but I'm a college student and I have a lot of homework to keep up with. Thanks for the reviews! I know I say that every time, but I really appreciate it. It keeps me going! FYI: as I mentioned before, this story is based on the spoilers I've found online for the next few upcoming episodes. This chapter in particular contains quite a few spoilers I found so if you don't want to ruin episode 20 for yourself, you might want to skip it.

* * *

Nick sat in his room thinking about the conversation he had with his mom earlier. His dad was gone. A car accident had instantly ended his life. He had just seen his dad less than three months ago…it didn't seem real. He never thought it would have been the last time he'd see him. His stomach growled loudly. He hadn't eaten anything yet and it was 1 in the afternoon so he got up to go to the kitchen.

Winston was sitting on the couch with his laptop. "Hey man, I haven't seen you all day."

"Yeah. My dad was in a car wreck and didn't make it," Nick said as he walked by the living room toward the kitchen.

"Whoa! Are you okay?" Winston got up and came over to Nick.

"Yeah I'll be okay," Nick smiled wanely.

"I'm here for you man," Winston patted him on the back.

Right then, Jess came in the front door. "Hey guys!" she said in a perky tone. She noticed Winston and Nick didn't look too happy. "What's wrong?" she asked.

"My dad died," Nick said simply as he buttered a piece of toast.

"What? Nick I'm so sorry," she approached Nick and attempted to hug him. He resisted at first but then accepted her embrace which lasted longer than a few seconds.

"I've gotta get a flight out to Chicago tomorrow for the funeral," Nick said.

"You want us to come with you?" Winston asked.

"Nah, it's fine," Nick started but Jess interrupted him.

"Of course we'll come with you! We all met your dad and I'm sure he would have wanted us to be there!"

"It doesn't really matter to me," Nick shrugged.

"I think I'll bring Daisy along so we can take our first trip together," Winston said.

"This is my dad's funeral, not a field trip to Chicago," Nick grumbled.

"Well I haven't been there in awhile and I'd like to show Daisy where I grew up and stuff," Winston explained.

"I didn't realize you were that serious about her!" Jess tried to prod him for more information.

"I haven't felt this way for a girl in a long time," he replied.

Nick excused himself. "I've gotta make some phone calls."

"Go ahead and reserve five flights so we can all get on the same plane," Jess directed.

"We don't even know if Schmidt is going," Nick pointed out.

"He's going whether he wants to or not," Winston said.

"CeCe might want to come too! Make it six reservations," Jess said.

"No! This is not the event of the year. You two can come and I guess Schmidt too if he wants but that's it. My mom's house doesn't have a lot of space, all of us will probably have to share a room as it is. My brother still lives there," Nick rambled.

"Where are we going?" Schmidt asked as he walked in the door.

"Nick's dad passed away and we're going to the funeral," Jess explained.

"That sucks man," Schmidt sympathized, "Why are we all going?"

"We're being supportive!" Winston said loudly.

"Oh, gotcha, yeah I guess I can come too," Schmidt said.

"All right, I'll make four flight reservations but you guys all have to pay me back, I'm not made of money," Nick said as he headed back to his room.

* * *

The next day they got into Chicago around 3pm and took a cab to Nick's mom's house. Nick attempted to open the front door of the house but it was locked. He banged on the door. It opened and a middle-aged plump woman answered it.

"What in the world?" she exclaimed as her eyes darted back and forth at the group of people standing on her front porch.

"Ma, you remember Winston right? And this is Schmidt and Jess. They're all my roommates," he explained as they all walked in.

"Why are they all here? I don't have room for anyone to stay! Grandma is here and so is your cousin Bobby!" she complained.

"We're his friends, we wanted to be here for him," Jess tried to explain.

She ignored Jess. "I'm just going to have to call your Aunt Ruthie and see if you people can stay with her." She sighed and left the four of them standing there.

"I knew this wouldn't be a good idea," Nick sighed.

A guy who slightly resembled Nick walked in the room. "Nick! When did you get here?"

"Just now," he said, "Guys, my brother Jamie. Jamie, these are my roommates, Jess, Schmidt, and you probably remember Winston."

"Why are you guys all here?" Jamie asked.

"They wanted to come," Nick brushed him off.

Nick's mom walked back in the room. "You're in luck. Aunt Ruthie said it'd be fine for all of you to stay there."

"Thanks for doing that for us Mrs. Miller," Jess smiled.

"Call me Bonnie. And it's not like I had a choice did I?" she grumbled.

"I'm going to step outside to smoke," Schmidt excused himself. Nick shot him a weird look.

Winston caught on. "Yeah me too, I haven't had a puff since before we got on the plane."

"I think I'll join you guys too," Jess chimed in. The three of them walked out the door.

"Did you really think it was necessary to bring your friends?" Bonnie asked.

"Look Mom," he began, "Winston's always been there for me, and Schmidt and I have been friends since college, and Jess means a lot to me."

"You didn't tell me you had a girlfriend," she said.

"She's not my girlfriend," he responded.

"Well she certainly acts like she wants to be your girlfriend. She's the biggest suck-up I've ever seen," Bonnie chided.

"No she's not. That's how she acts. She's actually one of the most honest people I know," Nick tried to defend her.

"You're just naïve Nick. I've seen the type. As soon as she finally snags you she'll drop you like a fly but then she'll try to come back to you. And then drop you again."

"I don't have time for this conversation!"

"Fine. Don't believe me. You've never listened to a word I've ever said. Why would I suddenly expect you to now?"

Nick picked up his suitcase and walked out the door where Jess, Winston, and Schmidt were sitting on ratty chairs on the porch. "Come on, let's go to my Aunt Ruthie's before I lose my mind."

"How are we going to get there?" Jess asked.

Nick sighed. "I guess we'll take another cab. None of these people here are going to want to take us."

* * *

"Nicholas! My how you've grown up! You turned out more handsome than your brother!" Aunt Ruthie cackled as Nick walked inside of her duplex with Winston, Schmidt, and Jess right behind him.

"Where should we put our stuff?" Schmidt asked casually as he looked around the room. There were several deer heads hanging on the wall and a giant glass cabinet with hand-painted ceramic animals inside.

"I've got two spare bedrooms. One has one of them sleeper sofas and the other has a twin bed," she started, "Follow me!" For being as old as she looked she appeared rather spry. She showed them the room with the twin bed first.

"Hey I remember sleeping in here when I was a kid," Nick said as peeked in the room.

"Well, why don't you sleep in there with your girlfriend? The bed might be a little cozy but I'm sure you two won't mind," Aunt Ruthie winked.

"Ah yeah," Nick hesitantly laughed. He didn't want to have to explain the whole Jess-just-being-his-friend thing to his crazy aunt because he knew she wouldn't believe him. Thankfully for his sake, Jess went along with it and dropped her duffle bag on the floor next to Nick's suitcase.

"You two boys can share the sleeper sofa!" Aunt Ruthie said pointing at Winston and Schmidt as they went across the hall to the other bedroom.

"Where's the bathroom?" Schmidt asked.

"Well unfortunately I only have one! It's attached to my bedroom. I'll leave my door open tonight in case you any of you need to use it," she answered.

"Great," Schmidt said as he walked in the direction of her bedroom.

Winston lay down on the sofa. "I'm going to take a nap."

Nick and Jess followed Aunt Ruthie into the living room.

"So how long have you two been together?" she asked as she stirred a cup of tea sitting on the side table next to the oversized lounge chair she was sitting in.

"Two months," Jess replied as Nick responded with a "Six months." They both laughed hesitantly.

"Two months officially, six months unofficially," Jess tried to explain.

"Well it looks like Nick found himself a real treasure," Aunt Ruthie smiled.

"I certainly think so," Nick said as he put his arm around Jess.


	8. Chapter 8

Aunt Ruthie had made everyone beef stroganoff for dinner.

"This is the first time in years I've made this much food," she remarked.

"It was delicious Aunt Ruthie," Nick said, "We all really appreciate it."

No one wanted to stay up late from the long day of airports and traveling. Jess and Nick walked to the bedroom they were sharing.

"So this is kind of weird right?" Jess said.

"Yeah. I'm sorry I didn't just tell her the truth. But she never would have believed you're just my friend and that things are kind of complicated between us. Going along with you being my girlfriend just seemed easier," Nick explained.

"Is that what you told your mom too?" she asked.

"Well, no. Mom immediately assumed you were my girlfriend. I told her you weren't but she got all weird and said you were the type of girl who was trying desperately to be my girlfriend but that you'd dump me or some crap like that. I'm sorry Jess, she's really loony sometimes," he apologized knowing that her feelings would probably get hurt.

"That's weird," Jess said, "I knew she acted kind of annoyed when I talked to her but I thought it was just the stress of the funeral planning and whatnot."

"It probably was a little bit of both. But anyway, I think tomorrow is the wake and Aunt Ruthie and my mom will both be there so we need to be friendly but not over the top because my mom will think I lied to her if we act like we're together."

"It's fine Nick, it's not that big of a deal."

"Thanks for being so understanding," he said as he unbuttoned his shirt, "Hey you can have the bed. I can sleep on the floor."

Jess felt a twinge of disappointment. Even though it's not like they would have sex or anything, the idea of them sleeping together so close in a tiny bed appealed to her.

"I can't do that to you," she said, "We can share the bed. If it's not too weird for you."

Nick grinned. "I don't mind if you don't mind."

Jess did feel a little bit awkward undressing in front of him though. "Turn around, I'm going to change into my pajamas."

"Okay. I've seen you naked before but whatever," Nick laughed.

Jess quickly peeled off her cardigan and the cami top underneath. She decided to leave her bra on because it just seemed too weird to be braless while she shared the bed with Nick. She finished undressing and put her pajamas on.

"Okay you can look," Jess announced.

Nick turned back around and took off his pants, leaving him in just his boxers.

"I can't sleep with pants on," he confessed.

Jess shrugged. "Just as long as you leave those on."

Nick smirked. "Let's get some sleep." They both crawled into the small bed. There was about an inch of space between them, if that. It took Jess a long time to fall asleep because of the lack of space but eventually Nick could hear Jess's steady breathing. He loved being this close to her; the smell of her hair and how soft her hand felt as it rested on his arm. Thinking about her made it easy for him to fall asleep.

* * *

The next morning Jess was temporarily confused as to where she was at. She opened her eyes and realized Nick had his arms around her. He was gently snoring and there was a slight smile on his lips. He stirred a little bit when the sound of his vibrating cell phone went off. His arms moved as he woke up, one of them accidentally caressing her breast. When he realized what he was doing he quickly moved it and reached for the phone.

"Hello?" he answered sleepily.

His mom's voice was loud enough for Jess to hear. "The wake is at 5 O'clock. Right after we'll be going to Ryan's Steakhouse for dinner."

"Did you make reservations at Ryan's? There'll probably be an awful lot of people going," Nick asked.

"Reservations? We'll just show up and they'll have to deal with it," Bonnie said in an annoyed tone, the restaurant planning clearly the last thing on her mind.

Nick sighed, "It's okay Ma, I'll call them myself and make the reservations. What time is the wake supposed to be over?"

"How am I supposed to know?" she asked.

"I'll just tell them 7pm just to be sure," Nick said.

"That's fine," she said.

"Which funeral home is it?" Nick asked.

"The one on Moss Oak road," she answered.

"Okay. I'll see you at 5 then," he said. She hung up without another word.

"I can't wait for all of this to be over," he complained.

* * *

Although he was annoyed, Nick eventually decided to go over to his mom's house before the wake to see if she needed him to do anything because she knew his brother was anything but helpful. He asked Jess and the guys if they wanted to come too. Winston said he was going to go over to his parents since they didn't live too far and Schmidt decided to go with him so only Jess went with Nick.

"Are you sure your mom is okay if I come?" she asked him.

"If she has a problem she can talk to me about it," Nick replied.

Jamie opened the door for them when they arrived.

"I didn't think I'd see you until tonight," he said as Nick and Jess walked in.

"I thought Mom might need some help around here," Nick explained. Right then Bonnie walked into the room.

"Nick! I didn't expect to see you until the wake," she said.

"Yeah well I wanted to see what I could do while I was here," he told her.

"I see you brought your friend. Jenny was it?" Bonnie looked disapprovingly at Jess.

"It's Jess," Jess corrected her.

"Hmmm," Bonnie said, "Nick, if you wouldn't mind putting up the Christmas boxes I have laying around back up in the attic, that would help me out a lot. The boxes are all in the spare bedroom where Grandma is staying. She's taking her bath right now so you won't disturb her."

"Alright Ma," Nick said as he headed toward the hallway. Jamie had already left the room leaving Jess alone with Bonnie.

Jess wanted to say something so bad but she didn't want to upset Bonnie. But she decided to throw caution to the wind knowing she may not have another opportunity.

"Bonnie," Jess started.

"What?" Bonnie replied, clearly annoyed.

"Look, I know you don't like me. But I like Nick and you're his mom and I'd really like to be able to get along with you," Jess said.

"I know what kind of game you're playing young lady and Nick doesn't need someone like you in his life," Bonnie said.

"I don't know what you're talking about. I care about Nick. A lot. He means everything to me. And he may not know this and I feel weird telling you this because I don't know you and he's your son, but I love Nick! And even though I only met his dad once, I made a promise to him that I'd look after Nick. And I plan to do that, even if Nick doesn't think he needs it," Jess explained in a determined voice.

Bonnie was at a loss for words. "Well maybe I've been wrong about you."

"I would never do anything to hurt Nick. Or his family," Jess added, not really sure what to say now either.

"Let's just put this behind us. For Nick's sake," Bonnie said, "I'm sorry I for what I said."

"Thank you," Jess shyly smiled. Nick walked in the room at that moment carrying a small box labeled "Mini Christmas Tree".

"Hey Ma, can I keep this?" he asked.

"Sure that's fine," Bonnie replied, "Okay kids, I'm going to go take a nap before we go to the funeral home so you guys try to stay quiet. And keep Grandma entertained if you guys stay for awhile."

Nick put the small box by the front door and looked at Jess. "You wanna take a walk? I can show you around the neighborhood and stuff."

Jess just nodded. She wondered if Nick had heard any of the conversation she had just had with Bonnie.

They got halfway down the driveway when Nick began talking. "Jess, don't get mad but I heard what you told my mom in there."

Jess bit her lip and could only look at him.


	9. Chapter 9

"You love me?" Nick asked.

"Yeah," Jess looked down.

"Jessica, it's me you're talking to. You don't have to be nervous," he said.

"I know. It's just not exactly the easiest thing in the world telling a guy you've been friends with for so long that you love him. In a more-than-friends way. When he may not even love you back," Jess explained.

Nick placed both of his hands on her shoulders and brought her close to him. "Come here." He leaned in and gently kissed her on lips, moving his arms down to her back, pulling her even closer to him. She kissed him back and wrapped her arms around his neck.

When they had pulled away, Nick took her hands and held them in his. "I love you too Jess. I want to be the guy that you come to for everything and receive the rewards too. I'm not perfect. You know that more than anyone. But you make me want to be a better person. You make me feel like my life actually has some kind of purpose."

"Are you asking me to be your girlfriend?" Jess asked playfully.

"Yes Jess, please be my girlfriend. Otherwise, the whole rest of this trip is going to be super awkward," Nick grinned.

"Well I wouldn't want that to happen, would I? Of course I'll be your girlfriend," she replied.

* * *

That evening, after the wake and the dinner at Ryan's Steakhouse, Schmidt and Winston asked Jess and Nick if they could talk for a few minutes so they all went in the room that Jess and Nick were sharing at Aunt Ruthie's.

"What is going on with you two?" Winston asked.

"You were holding hands at the wake, snuggling at the restaurant, looking at each other more than usual-please don't tell me you two are together!" Schmidt added.

"Is that a problem if we are?" Nick asked.

"Of course it's a problem! You already threw off the loft dynamics when you guys kissed but actually being together is most definitely going to ruin everything!" Schmidt said rather angrily.

"Why exactly is it?" Jess asked.

"We have an easily balanced system right now. Yes I thought it was weird when you, Jess, moved in. It threw things off slightly. But you turned out to be halfway decent and didn't try to spoil our testosterone filled lifestyle. However, you two having intercourse all over the loft is going to ruin the sanctity that has been established," explained Schmidt dramatically.

"And then if you guys break up, you're going to mess up everyone's friendship and someone's going to have to move out!" Winston threw in.

"Who says we're going to break up?" Nick asked.

"So you ARE together!" Schmidt proclaimed.

"Yeah we are. And that's not going to change," Nick said.

"Wonderful, just wonderful," Winston rolled his eyes.

"You guys are making a mistake!" Schmidt said.

"I don't think we are," Jess argued, "This didn't just happen overnight."

"Jess and I have been close for a long time," Nick added.

"And if you'll excuse us, we want to get even closer as soon as you two leave the room," Jess said. Nick raised his eyebrows and smirked at her. Schmidt sighed and he and Winston both left with an annoyed expression on their faces.

Nick walked over and shut the door behind them. "Closer you say?"

"Only if you want to," Jess shrugged.

"Do cows eat grass? Is the Pope Catholic? Does Schmidt like to clean?"

"I think you're a little excited."

"What can I say? I've waited a long time for this."

"How long have you wanted to sleep with me Miller?"

"Does it matter as long we get to go ahead and do it?"

Jess reached for his belt buckle and started to undo it.

"Already?" Nick laughed.

"What?" Jess asked, "You actually want foreplay?"

"No of course not. I just thought you would," he replied as he pulled off his shirt.

"I'm ready for some real action," Jess said and continued unbuckling his belt. He slid his hand under her shirt as she pulled his belt off completely. He inched his hand up into her bra and she unbuttoned his pants. And then all of a sudden there was a knock on the door.

"It's just me!" Aunt Ruthie's creaky but perky voice rang out, "I hope I'm not interrupting anything."

Nick groaned and quickly put his shirt back on and buttoned up his pants and Jess adjusted her shirt and bra.

Nick opened the door. "What is it Aunt Ruthie?"

"Your mom just called me and said she tried to call your phone Nick but you didn't answer. She wanted me to tell you that the funeral is at 11am tomorrow back at the same funeral home we were at tonight," Aunt Ruthie said.

"Thanks for letting me know," Nick said. But Aunt Ruthie didn't leave. She walked into the room and sat down on the small vanity chair next to the bed.

"I just can't believe Walt is gone. He had so much life in him," she began.

"Yeah it doesn't seem real," Nick agreed.

"It's a shame he didn't get to meet your girlfriend. He would have liked her," Aunt Ruthie continued.

"Actually Aunt Ruthie," Jess corrected, "I did get to meet him earlier this year. He came for a quick visit to see Nick."

"Oh that's wonderful! Nick, he loved you so much," she replied.

Nick could only nod. Not only did he want Aunt Ruthie to leave but he was starting to feel somewhat emotional about his dad passing away and didn't want her to see the tears starting to form. But she continued to talk and started telling them stories about her and Walt and how she was almost twenty years older than him and almost felt more like another mother instead of his sister. Her talking continued for over an hour and then she finally said she needed to get to bed so she could have some energy at the funeral.

When she left, Nick got up and locked the door. "Now where were we?"

Jess yawned. "You know what, let's do this another time when I'm not so tired and I can actually enjoy it. I want to be able to remember my first time with you."

"Ahh, typical female," Nick shook his head.

"I'm sorry Nick, but I just want it to be special," Jess explained.

"No babe, it's fine. I'm pretty tired myself. Tomorrow's going to be a long day anyway," he agreed.

* * *

Nick's mom had asked both of her sons to speak at the funeral after the pastor had finished. Jamie had tearfully shared a few memories but the speech had been very brief. When Nick walked up to the front, he took a deep breath and remained silent for several seconds.

"I wish I had gotten to know my dad better. In all honesty, I never really liked him. We were never close. He did a lot of things that he should have been ashamed of. I don't know if he ever was though. But after his passing away, I realized that I did actually love him. Hell, I might even end up missing him. He contributed to bringing me into this world, something I might have said I pretty much could care less about a short time ago. But recently, my life has had more meaning than it ever has had before. And someday, I hope to do something great with it so when Dad looks down on me from heaven, he can be proud of me," Nick said and then briefly turned around to look at the covered casket behind him, "I love you Dad."

Everyone in the room was sniffling and grabbing tissues. Nick walked away from the front of the church back to the pew he had been sitting at with Jess. She took his hand in hers and lightly squeezed it.

"That was beautiful," she whispered.

* * *

Sorry for the wait! More to come soon :) I thought about ending it here but I want to do a few more chapters.


	10. Chapter 10

That evening, they were back in L.A. Nick had thought about staying an extra day but his mom seemed to be okay and even though he wasn't much help, Jamie was there. And they all needed to get back to work after being gone for a few days.

Jess began to unpack her suitcase and tossed most of her clothes from it into her hamper. She pulled out a dress she hadn't worn and went to hang it up in the closet when she heard someone knocking on her door.

"Come in," she said.

Nick walked in. "I was hoping we could pick up where we left off the other night."

Jess didn't reply but instead quickly walked over to him, wrapped her arms around his neck, and kissed him hard on the mouth.

"I'll take that as a yes," Nick whispered. He kissed her back and grazed his hand over her chest. He pulled her shirt over her head and unhooked her bra. It loosely fell off. She inched backwards toward the bed and sat down while unbuttoning his pants as he quickly pulled off his shirt.

"I'm going to have sex with Nick Miller," Jess giggled.

"Damn right you are," Nick growled. He pulled off her skirt leaving just her panties between them. He started kissing her neck, slowly inching his way down toward her chest.

"These need to go," he said as his finger flicked the band of her panties.

She shimmied out of them. "Bang me good and hard Miller!"

"Oh you don't need to worry about that," Nick grinned wickedly, "This will be the best sex you've ever had."

"You sound pretty confident," Jess replied.

Nick pulled her close and pushed back a few strands of hair that were in her eyes. "How could it not be the best since it's you and me?"

* * *

Nick woke up to a sleeping Jess, one of her legs intertwined in his. He couldn't believe how lucky he was. This beautiful girl he had fallen in love with the moment he met her. She was absolutely crazy to want to be with someone like him. He gently started kissing her neck and she began to wake up.

"Nick?" she whispered.

"I'm sorry babe, I didn't mean to wake you up," he apologized and then gently kissed her on the lips.

"We slept together last night," she smiled.

"And how was it?" he asked.

"Absolutely incredible. You rocked my world Nick Miller!"

"So I was pretty great?"

"Pretty great? How about freaking amazing? How about I've never had sex that was that incredible?"

"So you'd do it again?"

"Nick, if you were a male prostitute I'd pay you triple than you charge plus a big, fat tip."

"Well lucky for you I don't charge a dime."

* * *

They finally got out of bed another round of sex later. Jess got dressed for the day and Nick went to his room to find some clothes. He went to the kitchen to throw together some breakfast. Winston was pouring himself a bowl of cereal.

"I'm surprised you're up this early," Nick said to him.

"You two lovebirds woke me up with your moaning and sighing and headboard banging," Winston complained.

Nick laughed. "I'd apologize but I don't even care."

"I can't believe you finally got her," Winston said.

"What do you mean "finally"?" Nick asked.

"You've been in love with her since I came back. I can't believe it took you this long to be with her," Winston explained.

"How did you know? I never told anyone," Nick asked.

"It was so obvious man! The way you looked at her. The way you were always there for her even when she was with other guys. Deciding not to move in with Caroline. I could go on and on," Winston replied as he took a swig of orange juice.

"What can I say?" Nick shrugged, "She was the angel that arrived here to save me even though I never asked for it."

"You've gone soft man," Winston shook his head, "What happened to the tough guy who used to brush off his feelings and make fun of her?"

"I kissed her and it was over," Nick replied, "It's as simple as that."

"As simple as what?" Jess asked as she came into the kitchen.

"You babe," Nick stood up and kissed her, "You know what I want to do today?"

"Have sex with me until you absolutely can't keep it up anymore?" she asked coyly. At this, Winston groaned and got up, slamming his bowl and spoon into the sink.

"Well maybe," Nick replied smiling, "But actually, I want to take you on a date. You're my girlfriend now and you deserve a boyfriend that'll do stuff like that."

"Sounds like a plan," she said, "Where will you be taking me Nicholas?"

"As much as I want to spoil you, my wallet says otherwise. So I was thinking, since it's so nice outside, maybe we could be a little dorky and do the picnic at the park thing?" Nick asked as he took one of her hands in his.

"I'm all about doing the dorky thing. A picnic sounds fun Nick," she smiled and kissed him on the cheek.

* * *

Later that afternoon Jess and Nick left to go to the park. Jess had packed a couple of PB&J sandwiches, some cheese sticks, and mini cups of applesauce along with spoons, paper plates, and a couple of bottles of water. When they arrived at the park they found a table in the shade and took the food over to it.

"I'm thinking about going back to school," Nick said before taking a bite of his sandwich.

"Back to law school?" Jess asked.

"No. I still don't want to be a lawyer. But since I've been trying to work on my zombie novels I feel like writing might actually be a good career for me. I'm thinking of majoring in creative writing or something along those lines," he told her. He was a little nervous because he didn't know how she'd respond. Jess was usually supportive of the things he did but the idea of going back to college was so huge to him he didn't want his ego crushed if Jess didn't approve.

"Nick, I think that's a great idea!" Jess replied enthusiastically.

"Really? You wouldn't feel weird having a 30 year old boyfriend in school?" Nick asked. Even though Jess seemed okay with it, the insecurities he normally faced were creeping in.

"What? No of course not! Lots of people go back to school. I think it's great you want to try to pursue a career like that."

"I guess I'll start looking at colleges around here. I'll probably end up just going to UCLA but maybe there's somewhere else."

"Nick is that you?" a woman's voice suddenly said close to them. Nick turned around. It was Caroline.


	11. Chapter 11

Thanks for the reviews!

* * *

"Caroline!" Nick said, surprised and totally thrown off guard. The last time he had seen her, all hell had broke loose. When he told her he had changed his mind and couldn't be with her she had started throwing stuff at him and screaming.

"Hey Caroline," Jess said quietly.

"How've you been?" Caroline asked, sitting down at the table close to Nick. Jess raised her eyebrows but didn't say anything.

"Not bad," he replied, "Just on a date with Jess."

"You two are actually dating then?" Caroline asked.

"Yeah, this time it's for real," Nick replied.

"Wow, well this is a surprise," Caroline replied, not sounding surprised or excited in the least.

"She makes me happy," Nick said, smiling at Jess.

Caroline got up. "Well I don't want to interrupt anything. It was good seeing you Nick. You too Jess."

"Was that awkward for you?" Jess asked him after Caroline walked away.

Nick shrugged, "Not really. At least she was civil. I thought that the next time I'd see her she'd start yelling at me some more."

"So you don't regret ending it with her?" Jess asked, twirling a strand of hair nervously.

"What? Of course not! It was a little weird at first, especially since she was so pissed, but it was definitely the right thing for me to do."

"What made you change your mind?"

"You Jess. You made me realize I was making a huge mistake. I felt like I was only doing it to prove something to myself and that's a dumb thing to do. Caroline never made me happy. The sex did and the idea of having someone did. But just not her in general. "

"You just told her I make you happy. So with me it's more than just the sex and being with someone?"

"It's so much more Jessica. Being able to tell you everything and get through arguments without hating you. Having sex with you. Knowing that you'll be here for me. I don't think there's much else I could ask for."

"You've surprised me in so many ways Nick. I never knew you could talk about your feelings like this. I never knew you could be good at sex. I never knew you could actually smell good if you tried. What else have you got in store for me Miller?"

"I can't tell you that. I've got to leave part of myself a mystery or you'll get sick of me."

He took her hand. "Come on, let's go for a walk."

* * *

After the sun went down, Nick and Jess went back to the loft. CeCe and Schmidt appeared to be in deep conversation on the couch but they were talking quietly.

"The lovebirds are back," Schmidt said, looking up as they walked in.

"Do you approve of us now?" Nick asked him.

"Hell no! But I feel like there's nothing I can do to stop it. If it goes down the crapper though, don't come running to me," Schmidt replied.

"Jess can I talk to you?" CeCe asked.

"Of course, we can go to my room," Jess replied and they both left.

"What's going on?" Jess asked her after she shut the door behind them.

"Remember when I thought I was pregnant last year?"

"Yeah, duh CeCe, I was there!"

"Well, this time it's for real."

"What do you mean THIS time?"

"My period is late and I took a pregnancy test and it came up positive! And then I went to the doctor to make sure. I'm going to have a baby!"

"That's so exciting CeCe! Whose is it though? Is it that guy you brought over here when me and Nick were locked behind the curtain?"

"It's Schmidt's! But he doesn't know yet."

"But you guys were just talking out there!"

"I was trying to make things right between us. Before I told him about the baby."

"I didn't know you guys even slept together again!"

"Yeah, it was after the convention we all went to. I had too much to drink."

"You're going to get back with Schmidt! I'm so excited for you!"

"I hope I am! He's been begging to be with me. But he's probably going to think I only want to be back with him because I'm pregnant. But it's not true Jess. I've been thinking about him a lot lately and I miss him. I know it sounds crazy but I'm still in love with him."

"It's not crazy CeCe. He loves you very much, I'm sure he'll get back together with you. Just be honest with him."

"Since when have you gotten to be so good at advice? Usually you're running to me with all your problems."

"I just don't like to see you hurting CeCe. You've never really gotten back to being yourself since things went down with you and Schmidt."

"Let's just hope you're right. There's no way in hell I'm going to be able to take care of this kid alone. Especially with Schmidt's DNA!"


	12. Chapter 12

Sorry for the hiatus! Life has been pretty busy for me lately. I appreciate everyone's reviews!

* * *

Nick pulled Jess close to him, gently kissing her hair. He could smell the lilac shampoo she had used earlier.

"I was kind of surprised to see CeCe and Schmidt spending so much time together today," Nick commented.

"Yeah, she's trying to rekindle things with him," Jess told him.

"What happened to her search for an Indian husband?"

"Look, you can't tell anyone. ESPECIALLY Schmidt, but, she's pregnant."

"Again?"

"What do you mean "again"? The last time wasn't real!"

"It can't be his, they haven't even been together."

Jess smirked. "Actually…"

"Why am I not surprised? Will she keep it if Schmidt isn't interested?"

"Probably," Jess shrugged, "I mean, she wants children. I'm pretty sure she'll raise it by herself if she has to."

"If we got pregnant, would you want to keep the baby?" Nick asked as he stroked her arm.

"Pregnant? Us? You and me, have a baby?"

"Well, yeah. It could happen! Condoms break all the time."

Jess looked up at Nick. "I'd want to keep it."

"Good, because I was thinking the same thing," he smiled.

* * *

"I'm going to be a father!" Schmidt announced at dinner the next evening.

Winston started choking on his food. Jess and Nick tried their best to act surprised and shocked.

"Congratulations! Who's the mother?" Nick asked.

"Cecelia! My sperm and her eggs have finally combined to create a masterpiece," he replied triumphantly.

"When did you two sleep together?" Winston asked, "I thought that ship had sailed."

Schmidt waved his hand. "That's not the issue! The important thing is, a baby is going to be born. He will be a great young man, a perfect replica of his father except he will have CeCe's perfect skin tone."

"How do you know it's going to be a boy?" Jess asked.

Schmidt was silent for a few seconds before responding. "I just have a feeling, that's all."

"You don't want a daughter that'll look up to you and hold your hand and ask you to pick her up and spin her around and read fairytales to her?" Winston asked.

"Clearly that's something you want more than me. But honestly, I don't care whether it's a girl or a boy I suppose. It's just the last time I thought CeCe was pregnant, I could only imagine us having a boy."

"I'm so excited for you guys!" Jess said, "Your baby will be so loved by all of us!"

"You'll make a great father," Nick chimed in. He wasn't entirely telling the truth but he knew eventually, Schmidt would fit just fine into the role of a dad. And Nick would be there observing; learning the mistakes that Schmidt would make and take them into consideration for whenever he and Jess decided to have a baby. He didn't think about "if" because he absolutely knew that time would come for them someday. If he knew it wouldn't completely freak Jess out, he would go to a jewelry store and pick out the nicest ring he could afford and ask her to marry her. He had no doubts in his mind that she would be the one woman he'd spend the rest of his life with.

* * *

Jess sat on the couch knitting a pair of baby socks while watching an old "The Brady Bunch" re-run. Nick came into the room and plopped down next to her, wrapping one arm around her lazily.

"Getting a little head of ourselves aren't we?" Nick asked, pointing at the socks.

"I can't stop thinking about it! When their baby is born, I want him or her to have all kinds of goodies from their Aunt Jess."

"Aunt Jess huh? So I guess I'm going to be Uncle Nick right?"

"Yeah, I mean, you and Schmidt are like brothers, so why not?"

Nick only smiled. There was no reason for him to explain what he had really meant by that. He knew Jess cared a great deal about him; she had even said she loved him. But he didn't want to rush things with her or make her feel like they were already married or something.

"So Nick," Jess started, "Earlier, when you said mentioned what might happen if we got pregnant, did you really mean you'd want to keep the baby? And be a dad? You're actually okay with that?"

"Yeah Jess. I mean, I don't want to have a baby right now or anything but I could imagine it happening sometime." He was hoping he hadn't said too much.

Jess looked at him, her blue eyes looking into his and a small smile spreading across her lips. She could just imagine a tiny, beautiful baby sometime in their future. A life that they had made together. She gently kissed her boyfriend on the lips.

"Whew, glad I didn't freak you out," he said, "I might not have my life all together but being a dad someday has always been something that I've secretly thought about."

"I never knew that Nick. I never have thought of you as that type of guy."

"You thought I was a baby hater?"

"No, not a hater. But just like, one of those men that would only want a baby if their wife, late in their marriage, ended up getting pregnant."

"What can I say? I'm a softie at heart."

* * *

This was going to be a lot longer but I wanted to go ahead and put this chapter up since it had been so long since I last wrote one.


	13. Chapter 13

Jess was sitting at the table grading papers when her phone chirped. She glanced at it: a text from Sam! What did he want? She opened it and read his text: "Jess. I know I got pretty pissed off about you and Nick kissing but it's been awhile now and looking back, I realize it wasn't as big of a deal as I thought. I miss you and would love to meet up for dinner or something."

Right then, Nick gently wrapped his arms around her shoulders and kissed her neck softly. "What's wrong?" he asked, noticing the annoyed look on her face.

"It's Sam," she replied, "He wants to see me."

"I thought I scared him off," he snatched her phone away and opened the text up again.

"Hey!" Jess protested and Nick typed up a response. "Too bad for you! Nick won and you lost." He hit send. Jess looked horrified. "I would never say something like that to him!"

"But you didn't. I did," he grinned.

Jess rolled her eyes at him. "Nick, I know I'm with you and I don't miss Sam at all, but he didn't deserve what I did to him and the least I can do is try to be nice to him."

"Do you honestly care what he thinks? He's not in your life at all. He's not a friend of a friend or anyone like that," Nick argued.

Jess shrugged. "I suppose you're right. I just feel bad about being mean to people for no reason."

"You're right Jess," Nick sighed, "I shouldn't have done that. You're a big girl and I trust you enough to give him a response to make him back off. I just don't want someone like him messing up what we have. I can't stand to think of you being with someone else." Nick was surprised at himself for saying all of this. Where was all this confidence after their first kiss happened? If he had been able to talk to her like this, they could have gotten together even sooner. Hell, he should have told her how he felt way before the kiss…maybe as long ago as when he came back to the loft after his almost-move-in with Caroline.

Jess looked into his brown eyes. "No one is going to come between us Nick. I would never let that happen."

Right then, Schmidt and CeCe walked in through the front door.

"How did it go at Dr. Sadie's?" Jess asked. CeCe had had her first baby appointment and ultrasound done today.

Schmidt proudly held up the sonogram picture. "I present to you guys Schmidty Jr!"

"Or CeCe junior!" CeCe protested, rolling her eyes.

"Where is it?" Nick took the picture from Schmidt and stared at it for a few seconds.

"See, it's right there," Jess pointed where the tiny head was positioned.

"That's it? That's the baby?" Nick asked in a tone of surprise. How could something so tiny eventually grow into a full-grown human?

"It's hard to believe isn't it," CeCe started, "But seeing the sonogram has made it seem so real. Me and Schmidt are going to be parents!"

"What up guys! I'm Big Daddy Schmidt!" he held out a hand for Nick to high-five him but Nick didn't raise his hand.

"Big Daddy Schmidt? Really?" Nick groaned.

"As long as I'm not Big Momma CeCe, you can call yourself whatever you want," CeCe said.

* * *

Jess decided to make everyone dinner that evening. She had found this yummy looking recipe for chicken enchiladas and wanted to try it out. While she was chopping up some peppers, she realized she had forgotten to pick up some tomatoes.

"Nick!" she yelled out.

"I'm right here," Nick stood up from his seat on the couch.

"Oops," Jess said, "I thought you were in your room. Could you pleaseeee run to the store for me and pick up some tomatoes? I guess I forgot to get some."

"Yeah babe, how many do you want?"

"I think four will be good," Jess smiled at him and kissed him on the cheek, "Thanks."

* * *

A half an hour went by and Nick still hadn't returned which was weird because the little market the roommates shopped at regularly was just around the corner. Jess picked up her phone to call him when Winston burst through the front door.

"Jess!" he yelled, "It's Nick. He's been in an accident!"


	14. Chapter 14

Jess tried to process what Winston had just told her. It was just too horrible. How could Nick have been in an accident? What had happened?

"OH MY GOD WINSTON!" she yelled, dropping one of the bell peppers she had been cutting up on the floor.

"Come, hurry! I'll drive you to the hospital," he ran into the room and grabbed her hand.

"What the hell happened?" she sobbed as they walked out of the loft together.

"He was crossing the street and a guy on a motorcycle ran the red light and ran right into him!" Winston explained quickly as they both got in the elevator.

"Is he okay? How did you find out?" Jess asked, her voice shaking.

Winston pulled her to him in a close hug. "I think he'll be alright. I was parking my car and heard sirens and I ran over to see what had happened. He was still conscious so he told me. He's scraped up really bad and he hit his head so they want to make sure he didn't suffer internal injuries."

* * *

When they arrived at the hospital, the nurse instructed them to sit in the waiting room. They had only been sitting for a few minutes when Schmidt ran into the room.

"Is Nick going to make it? Where is he? I HAVE TO SEE HIM!" Schmidt waved his hands in the air.

"He's getting tests done right now," Winston explained, "We can see him whenever the hell they get done with that."

"How could you let him walk to the store by himself Jessica? You know he isn't capable of something that complicated!" Schmidt was trying to hold back tears.

"How can you dare blame me for this?" Jess said angrily.

"Yeah Schmidt, seriously, not cool! Look at how much pain Jess is in. When will you learn to keep your big mouth shut?" Winston reprimanded.

"Jessica Day?" a nurse said, peeking her head in the door.

"Yes," Jess said, her voice wobbly.

"Nick is ready for visitors. But only one at a time. He requested to see you," the nurse smiled at her.

Jess got up and followed the nurse to a small room where Nick was laying in a adjustable bed. An ancient TV was hung from the ceiling and Jeopardy was on low. A curtain next to the bed was closed but there was someone on that side moaning in pain.

Nick had a bandage wrapped around his forehead, his arm was in a sling, and he had different sized bandages in various locations on his body. Despite the apparent pain he was in, he gave Jess a small smile.

"I'm sorry. Your tomatoes busted all over the street," he apologized.

Jess started bawling and ran over to him and kissed him tenderly and gently ran her hand through his hair.

"Are you okay? Are you in a lot of pain?" she sniffled.

"The doc said I'm going to make it but my head hurts like hell and I'm not allowed to move my arm."

"I was so worried! I can't believe that idiot didn't see you!"

"The cops were saying he had just robbed a bank and was trying to get away. When he hit me, he fell off the bike and he wasn't wearing a helmet. I think he might be paralyzed."

"Oh my god! I'm sorry you got hurt but I feel really bad for him too!"

"Yeah me too. That's some rough shit. Lucky me, I still get to walk and stuff!"

"Nick, I love you so much! I'm so glad you're only a little hurt! I don't know what I'd do if it had been worse!"

There was a quiet knock on the door and Winston and Schmidt both hesitantly walked in.

"Nicholas, you look terrible!" Schmidt said.

Winston whacked him. "You look much better than I thought you would!"

The nurse came in right after them. "Okay, all of you guys need to clear out. I need to give Nick the test results of his CT scan."

Nick nodded and the guys walked out. "I want my girlfriend to stay, if that's okay."

"Of course. That's your choice," the nurse said while looking at the papers she held in her hand.

Jess brought over that was against the wall to the bed and sat down.

"You suffered a mild concussion," the nurse began, "It isn't life-threatening but you may experience bad headaches and possibly even dizziness for the next several days. It's recommended that you stay at home and rest. VERY minimal activity! You also won't want to move your arm. You need to leave it in the sling for at least a month or else it won't heal properly."

"When does he get to go home?" Jess asked.

"We want to keep him overnight, just in case. But as long as things go well, he can go home tomorrow morning," the nurse replied.

"Can my girlfriend stay with me tonight?" Nick asked.

"Hmmm, we don't normally do that," she started, but Jess interrupted. "Please. I can sleep on the chair!"

"I suppose it wouldn't hurt," the nurse sighed.

"Thank you," Nick said gratefully.

* * *

The next morning, another nurse came in bright and early to take Nick's blood pressure and change out his bandages.

"You're good to go Mr. Miller," she said cheerfully, "Don't try to walk by yourself at first. Either let your girlfriend support you or we can get you a wheelchair."

"I'm sure I'll be fine," Nick said in an annoyed tone.

"Oh before you go, you need to fill out this paperwork so we can bill your insurance company," she handed him a clipboard with several pieces of paper attached.

"I don't have insurance," he said.

"Oh. Well, you will still need to fill it out so the hospital can bill you," the nurse still sounded cheerful despite Nick's grumpy attitude.

Jess shot her an apologetic smile. Nick hated being taken care of. He hated doctors and hospitals or anything medical related for that matter. She also knew Nick hated being temporarily handicapped. She hoped he wouldn't mind her, his own girlfriend, taking care of his because that was what she was going to do whether he liked it or not. She just wanted him to get better.


	15. Chapter 15

"Damn it Nick!" Jess complained, "How am I supposed to put on your ointment cream if you keep moving?" She was attempting to put some on his back in the few places that had gotten scraped up in the accident.

"It stings!" he griped, "It'll heal just fine on its own."

"That's not even a little bit true. Ointment cream doesn't sting! And if I don't put this on, you could get an infection, which means you'd have to go back to the hospital! Do you want that Nicholas?"

Nick sighed. "No. Put the damn cream on."

Jess rubbed it in as lightly as she could. Nick winced but he kept his mouth shut. It had been a week since his accident and the healing process had been plenty long enough for him. He was already sick of his arm being in the sling. He was enjoying the time off of work but at the same time, he didn't like the fact that he wasn't getting paid. And now he'd have a massive hospital bill he'd have to pay off. Damn that bank robber!

Jess was trying to stay positive but quite frankly, she was getting sick of Nick's poor attitude. She had accepted his anger, which had actually gotten better since they had gotten together, but the way he had been acting since the accident was babyish and irritating to everyone around him. She didn't know how much longer she could hold in her annoyance of it.

"Great," he began, "My arm is itching me like crazy and I can't scratch it!" He used his other arm to rub the sling in hopes of making it stop itching.

Jess took a deep breath to try to release some of the tension that was building up from her irritation at Nick. "I'm sorry it's bothering you. I wish there was something I could do."

Nick smiled sympathetically at her. He knew she was trying her best and he was starting to feel bad for acting like such a jerk. "Hey babe, it's okay. I know you'd heal me if you could. Next time I just need to pay more attention where I walk."

She kissed him on the forehead. "Do you want some ice cream?"

"Only if you're getting some for yourself. You don't have to do me any favors."

"No worries," Jess smiled, "I had a craving for some Neapolitan and thought you might want some too."

"I'd rather have rocky road," he pouted.

"I think Winston finished it."

"Fine, I'll take the stupid Neapolitan! Just don't give me any strawberry."

"Picky aren't we?" Jess smirked.

* * *

Nick had fallen asleep on the couch while watching TV so Jess had quietly gotten up from sitting next to him and went to her room to do some yoga. She noticed Nick's cell phone lying on her nightstand light up. "1 New Message". Figuring it was probably Winston or Schmidt she opened it without even thinking about it. But it was from Caroline. "Nick, I realize you're with Jess now and I think that's great. But I miss you more than I ever thought I would. I know that it was a lot when I asked you to move in…we hadn't even been back together very long. Jess might be a great person but you have so much history with me and if you'd at least consider it, I'd really like to get back together with you. We can take things as slow as you want. Just please say you'll think about it. Kisses."

WHAT THE HELL?! What on earth was it with all the exes lately? First Sam trying to contact her, now this! And what was she going to do? Tell Nick and put him in an awkward position of having to talk to her? Not tell Nick and quietly delete the text? She sat on the bed for a few minutes holding his cell phone in her hands.

All of a sudden she had an idea. She grabbed her phone and copied down Caroline's number and then typed out a message. "Caroline. This is Jess. Nick's girlfriend. I'm not an overprotective girlfriend but I saw Nick's message. Please don't contact him anymore. You had your chance. Move on with your life. Nick is not coming back to you. He is with me now." She took a deep breath and hit send.

A few minutes later, she received a text back! "I don't want to cause problems for you and Nick but I really don't appreciate you telling me this. Nick is a big boy and can text me himself. "

And right then, another text showed up on Nick's phone. "Nick, please text me back. I at least deserve to hear a response from YOU. Not your girlfriend." Jess decided to reply to her pretending to be Nick.

"Caroline, please leave me alone. Jess is my girlfriend. I don't want to get back together with you ever again. Don't contact me or Jess ever again." She hit send and waited nearly fifteen minutes to make sure she didn't respond. Then she deleted the texts from his phone and also the one from hers. Mission accomplished! She would never even need to tell Nick.

* * *

That night, Jess couldn't sleep. She turned multiple times. She tried sleeping with a pillow on top of her head. She tried cuddling with Nick. Nothing was working. All she could think about were the stupid texts from Caroline. Even though Nick had no idea, he deserved to know. What if they ran into each other someday and she brought up the texts. He wouldn't have a clue.

"Nick," she whispered and tapped him on the shoulder. He didn't move. "Nick!" she said a little bit louder. All he did was moan. "NICK!" she shook his good arm.

He turned over, facing her. "Jessssss," he slurred, "Whatswrong," it came out as one word.

"I did something today," she started, "And you're going to be mad."

He moaned again and then reached over to the side table and turned on the lamp. "What's wrong Jess?" He sat up and took her hand in his.

"Caroline sent you a text and I only looked at your phone because I thought it was one of the guys but it wasn't but I looked anyway and she said she wanted to get back together with you and take things slow so I sent her a text on my phone and told her to leave you alone and she got mad at me and then sent you another text saying she wanted to hear from you, not me, and then I pretended to be you and told her to leave you alone and she hasn't written back so I guess she listened."

Nick just stared at her. "That's a lot of information. Look Jess, why didn't you just tell me?"

"I don't know," Jess said quietly.

"I know you better than that!" he said, "There was a reason! You only talk quietly like that when you're lying."

"I thought maybe you'd tell her yes," Jess mumbled.

"What? Jess? No! Why would I do that?"

"Because you have a history with her. And she's more mature. And…"

"Jess. You're the woman I love. The life I had with her is over. I actually hope I never have to see her again. You mean more to me than she ever meant."

"You're right Nick. I should have known better. I just, I care about you SO much! I didn't want her to take you away."

"Jess, no one is taking me away. No one on this earth means more to me than you do. I want to spend every day of my life with you," he froze. He was saying too much. Nick wasn't one to share his feelings. Where the hell was this coming from?

Jess just looked at him. Guys normally only said stuff like this when they were about to propose. And there was no way Nick was proposing. Right?


End file.
